The legal credentials of the Judiciary Committee

While some lambast Harriet Miers for a supposed lack of qualifications to serve on the nation's highest court, one wonders exactly what the qualifications are for those members of the Judiciary Committee who are set to judge her.
 
— Senator Feinstein: Not a lawyer

—Senator Hatch: A lawyer who received his degree from the Pittsburgh Law School. He then practiced law for 14 years until his election to the Senate

—Senator Chuck Grassley: Not a lawyer. A farmer and Senator

—Senator Lindsay Graham: Law degree from University of South Carolina. Served a few years as a lawyer in the Air Force, not a place that would expose him to a wide range of legal experiences

—Senator Kyl: A lawyer who graduated from the University of Arizona (he did serve on Law Review and was one of the names touted for SCOTUS)

—Senator DeWine: A lawyer who graduated from Ohio Northern University Law School

—Senator Sessions: A lawyer who graduated from the University of Alabama. Had a career as small—town lawyer before becoming US Assistant US Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama; then US Attorney for the district and Alabama's Attorney General for two years.

—Senator Cornyn: Lawyer, graduated from St. Mary's School of Law in San Antonio (later earned a masters of Law from University of Virginia Law School). Served as District Court Judge and Texas Supreme Court

—Senator Brownback: Law degree from University of Kansas (the picture on his website shows him riding a bull)

—Senator Tom Coburn: Not a lawyer; a doctor  — and doctors usually don't care for lawyers.

—Senator Leahy: JD from Georgetown University which he attended after graduating from Saint Michael's College

—Senator Kennedy: as an undergraduate at the Kennedy family finishing school (Harvard) where he distinguished himself by cheating; then he attended The International Law School in The Hague (whatever that is—but it sure sounds too international  for my taste—given the use by Justice Kennedy of international law in deciding American cases)

—Senator Biden: Graduated from Syracuse University College of Law. Had a very short career as practicing attorney. Also a plagiarizer.

—Senator Kohl: Not a lawyer and the liberal The New Republic considers him supremely unqualified to be on the Committee. And he is a Democrat!

—Senator Feingold: Lawyer who graduated from Harvard Law School. Practiced law for a few years before becoming a politician.

—Senator Schumer: Graduated from Harvard Law School. Practiced for only a few years.

—Senator Durbin: Lawyer who graduated from Georgetown; he did practice for a number of years.
 
These are the Senators who will stand in judgment over Harriet Miers. Witness the noticeable lack of Ivy League Law Schools and legal careers for the majority of the Senators. Yet Senators are charged with the responsibility of passing Acts and drafting laws that abide by the Constitution and are in accord with previously passed laws. They are elected to fulfill certain goals which presumably will benefit America. Yet they clearly rely on clerks and staffers to do the research behind, and the drafting of, legislation that takes these requirements into account.

This sounds very similar to the role of the modern Supreme Court Justice. So can we ask for some fairness and sanity from the members of the Judiciary Committee who are, after all, in a way judging someone with very similar educational attributes as their own.

Matthew Puflea   10 12 05